


Blind dates and second chances

by DarthRoslin



Category: Holby City
Genre: Basically me wrapping Serena Campbell in cotton wool and letting her be happy, F/F, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-04
Updated: 2017-04-04
Packaged: 2018-10-14 22:18:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,658
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10545260
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarthRoslin/pseuds/DarthRoslin
Summary: With Bernie still in Ukraine, Serena is eager to explore her new found sexuality and tries to figure out the sapphic dating world, getting much more than she bargained for.





	

**Author's Note:**

> First fic in the Berena fandom so please let me know what you think! Figure we could all use a bit of fluff after tonight's ep!

How did this happen? Was the sky fairy really so cruel as to allow this sick twist of fate? Was this revenge for the other day when she laughed after watching Fletch bend to pick up a pen and his trousers split? It could have been karma for all the times she had burnt Jason's dinner lately, well you trying making a shepherds pie when you're mending a broken heart and you're three large glasses deep into your second bottle of shiraz. It might even be what she deserved for telling Hansen to FOH last week when he asked her why the monthly AAU turn around report was late. Whatever the reason it couldn't change the fact that she, Serena Campbell – 51, divorcee, mother of one, almost lover of her female department co-lead – was on a date with Alex Dawson - 42, single, army medic, ex-girlfriend of aforementioned co-lead.

***

Hansen had delivered the news with all his usual vigour.

"Her work has actually finished. She's chosen to stay on." He pushed a piece of paper which contained Bernie's email address towards her.

Serena had decided right then that she was done crying over Berenice bloody Wolfe. When Hansen left she ripped up the piece of paper, the satisfied feeling she was hoping would accompany the action never quite settling. Instead she felt a knot in her stomach that she knew was disappointment. Bernie was going to stay in Kiev.

Serena found Dom first. She thought about approaching Sian but would she have known any lesbians? Serena decided that she wanted to try dating women mainly to determine if was it a mid-life change in her sexuality, something she had never realised before, or was it simply that she found Bernie Wolfe that irresistible that her heterosexuality didn't matter for this one woman.

After contemplating the kinds of women Sian might introduce her to she chose to go with option B - ask literally anyone else.

"Am I suddenly the Sapphic guardian angel around here now?" Dom asked when she first approached him. A well placed eyebrow raise along with her patented scare-them-shitless look had him acquiescing quickly with a mumbled apology. He suggested online dating, the go to answer for dating in the 21st century it seems. Although with Serena's recent luck she wasn't going to judge.

She managed to set up a profile and despite the initial awkward beginning she found she quite enjoyed it. Flirting had always been a part of who she was and even without the personal touch of someone in front of you she found her fingers could type just as naughty as her mouth could speak. Of course these women were missing out on some excellent face and eyebrow work when talking only through text.

Eventually she set up a date, and then another, and then another. Fletch finally stopped commenting every time she left her office in a cocktail dress after a shift off to meet whoever the single lesbian community of Holby had to offer Serena Campbell.

The first thing she discovered was that it wasn't simply Bernie Wolfe that woke this part of her. Every woman she met had something she wanted to kiss or run her hands over. Rachel, the 59 year old solicitor, had an elongated neck that was calling for Serena to run her tongue along. Amanda, the 47 year old vet, had legs that went all the way to the floor and through it and down to the basement, legs that Serena spent far too long thinking about being wrapped around her waist during their short lunch date. Olive, the 63 year old accountant, had long shapely fingers that curved around the stem of her wine glass and Serena, thanks to her many hours of internet research, knew exactly what she wanted those fingers to do.

The problem, she discovered late at night alone in her bed, when her hand wandered over the curve of her stomach and past the waistband of her underwear, was that despite each of these women's extraordinary attributes, they weren't Bernie. It wasn't Rachel's neck Serena fantasised about nibbling on; it wasn't Amanda's model worthy legs that she imagined around her; it wasn't Olive's fingers she was pretending were buried deep inside her. It was only ever Bernie Wolfe that came to her, that left her breathless and sated and oh so lonely night after night.

She deleted her profile and retired the app. Time to try something else. Raf had been the next person she turned to for help.

"Maybe you need to be set up with someone?" He suggested. She rolled her eyes. "Hear me out. You and..." He paused. Bernie's name had become so infrequently used around Serena these days, ever since her slight outburst during Imelda Cousins charming visit her staff were wary to use the "B" word within earshot of her. Raf coughed and continued.

"Well you two knew each other well before...anything more happened. Maybe you need to find that common ground first."

"And do you, ahem, know of anyone who would match with this washed up mid-life lesbian?" She asked.

"Actually I might." Serena watched him sit in one of the available seats beside her desk. The seats Bernie used to refer to as the audience seats. Probably because every time she said it Serena laughed. Serena wasn't sure if she laughed at the joke or at the smile Bernie would give her when she said it. At the time she didn't care. She was happy.

"You might know some lesbians?" She asked him, smiling at his blush.

"I have some friends but I don't spend as much time with them since the divorce. They were more Amy's friends. I still see them from time to time. Maybe they know someone."

And so she let Raf play matchmaker, an idea she regretted the moment she walked into the small village pub to find Alex Dawson sitting alone at a small table and wearing a red rose in the lapel of her jacket that matched the rose adorning Serena's favourite winter hat. The marker they were using to identify their blind date. Of course if Raf's friend had said, oh you know that hot young woman Bernie used to sleep with – yeah it's her, then she probably would have known what to look for.

It seemed the other woman had recognised her instantly also, judging by the way her jaw almost hit the table in front of her. Serena had manoeuvred through the crowded tables to the bar and ordered a glass of Shiraz – large, the occasion called for it – before finally making her way over to Alex who had somewhat composed herself.

"Alexandra?" Serena pointed at the rose pinned to the other woman's jacket.

"Call me Alex. Nice to meet you, Serena." Alex held out her hand and Serena took it as she sat in the seat across from her.

"Raf mentioned you were a locum at St. James' at the moment?" Alex nodded and between them they began a stilted conversation much like any other blind first date conversation would go. They talked about work, family and interests. They did not discuss past relationships and they certainly did not discuss Berenice Wolfe.

Alex's hands were never idle. When she was speaking they were her visual aid, constantly moving, when Serena was speaking they were fidgety, darting between drawing idle scribbles on the table in front of her and tearing apart the beer mat under her pint. Serena tried to decide what this said about her.

While Alex was talking about her recent hiking trip she had taken with her friend, an activity Serena had never and would never take part in thank you very much, Serena allowed her mind to wander. How much longer were they going to continue pretending they both didn't know the shared connection between them.

Every time they found a topic they agreed on, which was a lot surprisingly, she remembered what Raf had said about being set up with someone she had things in common with already. If not for the obvious reason she would be calling this date a great success.

Eventually conversation dwindled as it often does on first dates and the women found themselves sipping their drinks, eyes darting around the busy pub and both silently contemplating how to continue the conversation.

"So," Alex began. "The elephant in the room." Serena grimaced and took a large gulp of her wine. She was onto glass 3 already. How had that happened? There were 3 empty pints in front of Alex as well and the bartender was placing another in front of her. She hadn't even noticed how long they had been talking. Or how much they had been drinking. "I was under the impression that you and Bernie were...involved?"

Serena snorted into her glass before finishing it off and gratefully accepting the new glass from the waiting bartender. He cleared the rest of the empty glasses from the table and left them alone again.

"Bernie tends to give that impression." Serena couldn’t keep the bitter tone from her voice. "Of course that is before she buggers off as far away as she can get."

"She left?"

“She left." Serena nodded.

"She does that."

"There does appear to be a pattern." Alex threw her head back and laughed. It was a loud, infectious laugh and once again Serena felt the pang sadness as it reminded her of Bernie.

"I feel she may be living up to her nickname." Serena was intrigued at that.

"Nickname?"

"She never told you what her nickname was in the RAMC?" Alex raised an eyebrow and her lip curled up in amusement. In that moment Serena could see what had attracted Bernie to Alex. She was all mischief right now. Serena shook her head no. "Captain Catastrophe."

The 2 women roared with laughter, stomach muscles clenching as they laughed. More stories were traded, not exactly Bernie bashing, more how you speak of a loved one at their funeral. They were mourners of sort, mourning the love they had shared with the trauma surgeon.

"Dusty Springfield!? Oh god I knew her pop culture knowledge was bad but not that bad."

"My nephew Jason knows more about pop culture and let me tell you that is saying something." Alex smiled and took another drink. Serena decided she was drunk enough know to ask the question that had been on her mind all night.

"Did you love her?" Serena asked quietly, eyes firmly fixed on the table. Alex sighed.

"I did. Once. I think...I think I've moved past that now. I'll always love her, I'm just not in love with her anymore. But you still love her."

It wasn't a question. Alex had spent the evening with Serena, had heard her talking about the other woman, could see the look in her eyes when they spoke about Bernie. There was no question about how Serena felt for her.

"I don't think she's coming back and no matter what I do, no matter how many dates I go on, I'm not sure how I'll get passed this." Serena wiped away a stray tear angrily. Hadn't she spent enough time crying over Bernie lately.

Alex didn't know what to say. Maybe Bernie would come around, realise her mistake and come back to Serena but she knew it would have to happen soon. Serena wanted to move on and very soon she would, just like Alex had when Bernie tried to make her stay. Suddenly an idea came to her.

"Let's show her what she's missing." Serena looked at her quizzically. Alex took her phone from her bag and turned on the camera. She held it up between them and leaned into the table, gesturing at Serena to do the same.

"What are we doing exactly?" Serena asked, facing the camera with her cheek pressed against Alex's as they smiled at the screen. They each groaned as the bright flash blinded them both for a moment.

"I told you." Alex said as she typed into her phone. "We're showing her what she's missing." She turned the phone around to Serena to show her the text message she had been typing. It was a photo message to Bernie, the photo of the two of them she had just taken, under which she had written:

_The lesbian community in Holby gets smaller and smaller. Blind date from hell or perfect match? Enjoy Kiev._

"You can't send that!"

"Oops. Too late." Alex grinned, pressing a button on her phone and raising her glass in a toast. "To Bernie Wolfe, may she be packing her bag right now." She laughed and finished her pint in one swift gulp, wiping any foam sitting on her top lip with the back of her hand.

If anything Serena knew she had made a friend tonight. A very unusual one given the circumstances.

"How about we get a lot more drunk and forget we ever sent that message?" Serena suggested already trying to catch the barman's eye.

"You may not want to forget it Serena. In the morning you may be thanking me."

"And why is that?"

"Timing is everything. This may help nudge things along in the right direction."

Serena was going to argue but the bartender had found his way to their table again, drinks already in hand. The pub was emptying out slowly but to Serena it felt like the night had just started.

***

Alex woke at 5am like she had every morning since joining the army. Of course most mornings didn't come with a blinding headache and a mouth that tasted like sandpaper.

She was lying on her bed, fully dressed and still wearing her shoes. Reaching towards her bedside table she grasped her phone and glanced at the screen. Six missed calls from Bernie Wolfe. Oh Christ what had she done last night? Please say she didn't drunkenly call up her ex?

Just as she was trying to piece it all together her phone rang again.

"'ello?” Her voice sounded as if she had just smoked 40 cigarettes and then swallowed a handful of razor blades.

"What the hell is going on Alex?" Major Wolfe was yelling at her through the phone but somewhere in her hungover brain she knew she didn't answer to the Major anymore, the Major was now Bernie and she hadn't spoken to Bernie in months.

She tried to say as much but of course all that she could manage to say was "What?" Most eloquent indeed, Alex thought to herself. Bernie continued to yell, or maybe she was just talking angrily, either way Alex wasn't hearing much of it.

"...think of how that makes me feel? Are you dating? How long has this been going on?" Bernie continued as Alex tried to play catch up. Dating? Date. Blind date. She had a blind date last night.

It all came back to her in a flash. Discovering her blind date was the woman her ex-lover had fallen in love with, that she had left her too, that Serena was suffering just like she when Bernie disappeared after the explosion.

"Serena?" Alex was starting to get the use of her speech back but only in bits and pieces. Bernie gasped and stopped mid rant when she heard Serena's name.

"Is she..." Bernie paused and Alex swore she could hear the sadness in her voice when she spoke again. "Is she there?"

There? Alex thought. Where's there? Oh there in bed. Alex's bed. With Alex.

"Oh no, Bernie, no. Nothing...nothing happened." Bernie was quiet on the other end of the phone call. "Nothing was ever going to happen. That's a bit weird don't you think?"

Bernie sighed down the phone. Alex could imagine what she must look like. Her blonde hair tousled from her fingers worrying it.

"A bit weird yeah."

Alex fiddled with the buttons on her shirt. She was still lying in bed, fully clothed and hungover. Oh and on the phone to her ex. She really wanted to take a shower. Maybe go for a run. Clear her head of Bernie Wolfe related drama.

"Let me ask you this Bernie, were you upset when you saw the photo?"

"Upset? Of course I was!" They were back to angry Bernie now.

"Why?"

Silent Bernie. Alex was starting to be glad she had broken her heart all those months ago. Next time she was definitely going to fall in love with a talker.

"And were you upset because you saw me with someone else or because you saw Serena with someone else?"

Bernie sucked in a breath like she had received a punch to the gut.

"I've messed it all up again haven't I?" Bernie asked quietly.

"Yes."

Even though it was the truth Bernie was still shocked to hear it confirmed so vehemently in Alex's steadfast voice.

"But there's a difference this time."

"What?"

"You've messed everything up but you still have time to fix it. She's not over you yet. She's trying and very nearly succeeding so you need to make your mind up soon. If you still want her you have to fix it – now."

There was a noise somewhere in the background of Bernie's side of the call, something that sounded vaguely like-

"Where are you?"

Bernie mumbled a response.

"Bernie?" Alex's tone hardened.

"I'm in the airport."

"You're going to fix it aren't you?" Alex was grinning now. She sat up in bed, a little too quickly and the room spun around her. She missed some of what Bernie said next as she tried to hold the nausea at bay.

"...when you think about it really."

"I'm sorry can you repeat that." Bernie sighed.

"I said it might not work. She might not want to try again. What if I say the wrong thing?"

"That's what you don't understand Bernie. You worry about saying the wrong thing so you don't say anything at all. Just tell her. Everything. How you feel, why you ran, how bad you are at communicating. Let her know it all. And then let her decide."

There was silence on the call but Alex could hear an announcement being made over the speakers of the airport Bernie was in.

"Alex, I'm sorry for how I hurt you."

Alex laughed. "Don't waste all you emotional energy on me. Talk to Serena. Come find me when you two have worked it all out."

Bernie agreed and with one more attempt at an apology she hung up.

Alex collapsed back onto the bed. Maybe she'd skip that run. Maybe she'd take a trip to that coffee shop where the barista with the pretty smile always gave her an extra shot for free. Maybe this time she'd ask for her number.

***

Serena woke up with a pounding headache and the light streaming in from her window was situated perfectly on her closed eyes. She must have forgotten to close the curtains when she stumbled home last night. There was a loud buzzing sound beside her head and she blearily opened one eye to see her phone lighting up with an incoming call.

"Oh bugger off." She mumbled, dropping her head back into her pillow. When the buzzing stopped she decided to try and get another hour or two of sleep, she could really use it after the night before. If you had told her 24 hours ago that she would spend the evening getting drunk with Alex Dawson, and actually enjoying herself, Serena would have called a psych consult faster than you could say half off Shiraz.

Her phone buzzed again and this time she knew she couldn't ignore it. It was technically her day off but if there was an emergency in AAU she would be called, part of the joy of being the only co-lead of the department currently in the country.

Her phone showed two missed calls and a text from Alex. Serena knew she could make a good impression but apparently she had underestimated herself.

_Terminal 1. FR112 due in at 13:35. You're welcome, A._

Well, thought Serena, that certainly made no sense. Alex was taking a flight? Did she need a lift to the airport? But "due in" was an incoming flight – Alex wanted Serena to pick someone up from the airport? Who would Serena know-

Serena scrambled out of bed. Her hangover, while still very much making itself known, was being ignored as she logged onto the airports website and scrolled through the arrivals table looking for the corresponding flight number.

"Aha!" She exclaimed aloud.

FR112 departing from Kiev – on time.

Bernie.

What did this mean? Was Bernie coming home? Did she want to see Serena? Was this because of the photo? Oh god the photo! Parts of the night came swimming into Serena's mind and she groaned, collapsing onto the edge of the bed.

Her phone buzzed once again in her hand with another text from Alex.

_Timing is everything. Tick tock. A_

Serena knew what she had to do.

***

Murphy's law states that "If anything can go wrong, it will go wrong" and boy was that true for Bernie today. Her suitcase had been too heavy for the airline's baggage allowance and she had paid a hefty fine to cover it. She couldn't find her boarding pass at the gate and after emptying her carry on onto the floor of the airport and rummaging through it she had been the last to board the flight, a flight that didn't have assigned seating, leaving her with the middle seat between a man who spent the entire journey asleep on her should and a woman who proceeded to drink all of the alcohol available to her then promptly started a fight with the stewardess when she refused to provide any more.

Now it seems her bag would be the last out on the carousel. As she watched each person lift their luggage from baggage claim and drift away she ran through what she wanted to say to Serena in her head. So far she had come up with "Hi Serena", a sure fire way to have the woman of her dreams fall into her arms and forgive her. Maybe not.

The carousel suddenly shuddered to a stop and Bernie realised her string of bad luck was not over. 30 minutes and a lost luggage form later, with just her carry on and a hastily wrapped bottle of wine she had bought for Serena in the Kiev duty free, she finally crossed the threshold to the arrivals area.

She spotted Serena immediately and stopped in her tracks. She was wearing a loose fitting jumper under a winter coat and a pair of black trousers Bernie knew were hugging her shapely hips. She was anxiously bobbing on her toes and scanning the crowd until their eyes met.

Bernie held her breath as she watched Serena take her in. And then Serena smiled. Bernie could see her mouthing her name before the impatient passengers behind her jostled her forwards and towards the woman waiting for her.

"Serena..." Bernie whispered when she was finally in front of her, the woman she had spent every moment in Ukraine thinking about.

"Welcome back." Serena was still smiling and Bernie could hardly keep her hands to herself. She wanted to bury them in the brown locks and pull Serena into a kiss but Alex's words rang in her ears. You have to fix it. Bernie was definitely going to do just that, once her brain started working again.

"How was the flight?"

Bernie didn't answer, instead she hoisted her bag onto her shoulders and placed her hands on Serena's shoulders, gently guiding her backwards away from the crowds and towards a less busy corner of the airport. Serena's eyebrows raised as she realised they were going to have the conversation right there.

"What are you holding?" Serena nodded to the wine in Bernie's hand.

"It's, uh, a gift. From me to you." Serena seemed shocked at the admission, her eyes darting around to the other people milling about the arrivals lounge. "You can't even bring yourself to look at me."

She met Bernie's gaze once more, focusing on the woman in front of her. "I am. I'm looking."

Bernie was struggling for the words. Now that she had Serena's attention now that she had the woman she loved in front of her, she was struggling to come up with anything to say that could make things right. The appropriate words. Whatever she said had to convince this woman to take her back, accept her apology, let her back in her life.

"I like you. No, God no," she groaned. Great start, Wolfe. "I more than like you." Serena was still watching her, giving her full attention. Just tell her Bernie, let go. "I know I've messed things up, I've done the wrong things, I've said the wrong things. When I was in Ukraine there was only one thing I could think about. That was you Serena. Still is."

Bernie's heart was beating wildly in her chest. She had done it, kind of, almost, not quite. She was opening up and Serena was still here with her, beautiful, electrifying Serena.

"Right." Serena looked disappointed, obviously expecting more after an impromptu plane journey and airport reunion. Bernie let her bag fall to the floor and dropped the wine on top of it.

"I wanted to commit to you, before I left, when you said..." She lifted a hand to run her fingers through her hair. "I'm sorry. I know I've made a mess of things but I..." She drifted off, still struggling with the words. "How did you know I was flying in today?"

Serena smiled at her change of topic, allowing Bernie to regroup. She reached into her pocket for her phone and showed Bernie the texts from Alex.

"Seems someone is playing Cupid." Serena said with a laugh, pocketing the phone once more.

"And how, ah, how's that working for her?"

"Not very well if you're only here for a flying visit?" Serena eyed the small bag lying by Bernie's feet.

"They lost my luggage. I had a bigger suitcase as well."

"So you're back in Holby then?"

Bernie could hear the hope in Serena's question. It was a hope she was suddenly filled with too. She could feel her old self slowly awakening just by being in Serena's presence.

"I am. If you give me a reason to stay." God Bernie had missed flirting with her.

"Will this do?"

And suddenly Bernie wasn't talking anymore. Serena's lips were covering hers and strong hands grasped at the back of her head, pulling at the tie holding her hair in place. Bernie's hands wrapped around Serena's waist and she pulled her closer as her tongue worked it's way into the brunette's mouth.

Who knows how long they spent like that, wrapped up in each other, grasping at the other like they were lifelines. Bernie broke the kiss to place several smaller kisses against Serena's jaw and down the column of her neck, until Serena pulled her back to her mouth for one more long, slow kiss.

Bernie was aware that she was speaking, could feel words leaving her mouth and sealing themselves on Serena's lips but it wasn't until Serena whimpered that she realised what she was saying.

"I love you. I love you. I love you."

"I love you too." Serena whispered against her lips before kissing her soundly once more.

They stood embraced in that spot, trading kisses every so often, until the ringing of Serena's phone interrupted them.

Breaking apart Bernie smiled as she saw Alex's name flashing on the screen.

"That's a very peculiar cupid we have." Bernie laughed.

Serena grinned at Bernie, pressed ignore on the phone's screen and pulled the blonde to her for another kiss.

***


End file.
